


I can't teach ya how to fall in love, baby (but please love me to my dying breath)

by RENielsen



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Alternative Universe - Teachers, Elementary School, English teacher Niall, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Math teacher Louis, Pranking war, Romance, Students, Teacher/Teacher relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-29
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-05-31 07:16:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6460939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RENielsen/pseuds/RENielsen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>“How many times do I have to tell you I don’t want to shag Horan?” Louis says with a pout.</em>
</p><p>  <em>“Oh right, I forgot that you’re in love with him too. Wants to hold his hand and cuddle him at night. Louis and Niall are sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g,” Harry singsongs in return, just resulting in making the pout on Louis' lips even bigger.</em></p><p>Or Louis is the fifth grade math teacher who only fancies the first grade english teacher a tiny bit. Nothing to worry about, honest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I can't teach ya how to fall in love, baby (but please love me to my dying breath)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for this prompt at the 1D_Hiatus_Prompt_Meme:
> 
> I always see teacher-student relationships in every fandom...I honestly find that so boring. So, in this prompt, it's completely different! This is teacher-teacher relationships, and everyone is a teacher. What you want in this fic, is definitely up to you! AND: these pairings are just a suggestion. You can pick whatever pairings you want! You don't even have to include 5SOS or even Zayn. This is your choice of what you want, as long as there's no student-teacher relationships.

“Niall fucking Horan,” Louis hisses the same second he enters his classroom that morning. Everything, literally _everything,_ is covered in flowers and cut out hearts and Louis has never seen anything this _girly_ before. It might be his own fault; he has to admit that at least to himself. After all it was him that started this whole prank war with the cute first grade English teacher, when he put a bucket of water over the door of Niall’s classroom last month. It had been so funny, and something Louis did with all the new teachers, but he hadn’t really thought that Niall would actually use days on making a plan to give back.

Four days after Louis’ first prank though, he had found all his stuff glued to his desk. Not very keen on losing the stupid war he had begun, Louis had covered Niall’s car in birdseeds just before class ended so the younger man didn’t have a chance to get to his car because of all the birds. That one had really been funny. Niall’s face when he saw it was priceless.

After that the pranks had just kept coming.

He’s still standing there with a dumbstruck expression when the first students begin coming in.

“Oh, it’s so pretty,” one of the girls whispers to her friend.

There’s no fucking way he’s letting that stupid English teacher get away with this! This is his school and no one is ever going to win a prank war when he’s in it; especially not freaking Niall Horan that’s way too cute for his own good.

The whole room smells so much like flowers that Louis could just as well have been standing in the middle of a meadow in the summertime without the least of wind moving. He’s almost choking on the smell, and it really doesn’t help that everything is fucking pink.

Through the whole class none of his students seems to be able to concentrate, most of the girls looking at the flowers and hearts with big eyes and smile on their lips and the boys keep sending little grins in Louis’ direction like they find this oh so funny. Louis himself keeps grumbling at them all to concentrate and do their work, but in the end he has to dismiss the class knowing very well that they didn’t do shit. It does make him smile very bigly, though, when they all groan loudly as he tells them he expects page 54 – 56 to be done by tomorrow.

The math through those pages isn’t anything big, so he knows he isn’t being unfair with them. It’s more that he’d usually make them do, but not by much. Besides they have a timeline to keep up to, and when they won’t do anything while in class then they’ll have to take the consequences in their homework. His fifth grade is smart kids too. They’ll figure it out without any problems.

When the next class come in, he makes sure they actually work this time, and while they do so he begins getting rid of all the crap. He can’t make himself to throw the flowers out, though, so he hands each of the girls a bouquet before they leave for lunch. He can’t help but smile softly when they all giggle and blush as they leave.

“Can I get one too?” a boy named Alex asks, when he’s the only one left besides Louis.

Louis just lifts an eyebrow in question because he didn’t really expect any of the boys to want any flowers. “Yeah, of course. You can choose whichever.”

“Sick! May is going to love these!”

“Oh, it’s for a girl then? Someone you fancy?” Louis says teasingly. Alex pulls a face like he’s disgusted by the thought, but Louis also notice the slight blush covering the boy’s cheeks.

“No, she just gave me this really cool videogame, so I wanted to give something to her too.” The boy begins leaving the classroom, but turns around one last time before opening the door. “Thanks again, Mr. T.”

Louis just nods and watches the boy leave. He then looks back at the leftover flowers, and without really thinking he fills his mug with water, before picking out a couple of the flowers and dumps them in the mug so they won’t die as fast.

When he has taken his back over his shoulder he picks up the rest of the flowers and on his way to find Harry, he gives away the rest of them to the girls he sees on his way. Ha, the jokes on Niall. This has just made him the sweetest teacher in all of the girls’ eyes now.

“I’m going to kill him,” Louis grumbles as soon as he enters Harry’s class. The younger man is sitting behind his desk, reading papers like Louis had predicted he would be doing. Harry has always been bad at planning when to give his students essays, so instead of taking one class a time he gives them it all at the same time so he ends up having to grade four or five classes’ essays at the same time. For some reason Louis has this feeling that he’s never going to learn to make it more even. Or maybe he’s just too stubborn to change the way he does stuff, because Louis has tried to tell him multiple times.

“What did he do this time?” Harry mutters with a little yawn, not really looking interested at all, but Louis begins telling him anyway. He curses out the Irish, beautiful and at times very sweet teacher. Only at times though. Mostly he’s just a pain in the arse for Louis. “Why don’t you just shag and get it over with?” Harry says with a sly smile once Louis is done talking, and of course Louis should have seen this coming. It always does, because Harry has this crazy idea that Louis actually wants to fuck the blond, which is just stupid. What’s even more stupid and crazy, though, is that Harry also thinks that Louis has a crush on Niall, which he absolutely does not.

“How many times do I have to tell you I don’t want to shag Horan?” Louis says with a pout.

“Oh right, I forgot that you’re in love with him too. Wants to hold his hand and cuddle him at night. Louis and Niall are sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g,” Harry singsongs in return, just resulting in making the pout on Louis lips even bigger.

“Shut up,” he whines. “I need you to help me plan something that’ll blow Niall away.”

“Take him on a date, I’m sure that’d make him surprised.”

And well, Louis has never thought of it like that. It probably would blow him away, maybe even do the trick and let Louis win this war. Of course it shouldn’t just be a date, there should be some sort of prank in the end that’d make Louis the king of the school once again, because there’s no way in hell he’ll let _Niall_ of all people be better at pranking than him. No one is better at pranking than Louis Tomlinson!

“Don’t do that,” Harry then sighs, as he shakes his head lightly. “I didn’t mean for you to turn it into a prank, Lou, that’s just evil. I actually think this boy like you, so please don’t ruin it before it can even start.”

“I don’t know what you’re on about,” Louis says with a smug smile, already having everything nicely planned out in his head. It’s perfect!

¤¤¤

 “No.”

“What do you mean by ‘no’,” Louis squeals surprised. Everything about his plan had been foolproof, or well apparently except the fact that Niall doesn’t want to go on a date with him.

“Do I have to find you one of my _first graders’_ dictionaries so you can look it up? Then again, though, I actually don’t think it’s even written in there, because my six-year-old students don’t really have a problem understanding the meaning of ‘no’, so let me explain further; I don’t want to go out with you,” Niall explains rudely with no expression on his face what so ever.

Louis is _fuming._ How dare that little shit to talk to him like this? “But why?” Even he can hear the whine in his voice and there’s no doubt that he’s pouting, not that he’s ever going to admit either, because this whole thing is catastrophic enough as it is. He really does want to know why Niall doesn’t want to go on a date with him, though. Harry said Niall likes him, and no matter how much Louis despise admitting it, then Harry is usually right when it comes to things like these. Just not this time apparently.

“I’m already seeing someone.”

And that... that’s really a smack in the face. Louis blinks confused for a second before he really seems to get what Niall just said.  He can’t even really describe what he’s feeling right now, not anything good, though. For some weird reason he doesn’t even really think it has anything to do with the fact that his prank just got ruined, but more about the fact that Niall is actually seeing someone that isn’t him.

He doesn’t know why, but for some reason he thought that Niall was single, the whole staff thought so too as far as Louis knows, and he has a really hard time imagining Niall with someone else. Or maybe he doesn’t really, because Niall is cute and sweet and funny and handsome. Louis could probably continue for ages, and he has only known the younger man for around a month now.

Niall must be able to see his disappointment from hearing the news because he pats him lightly on the cheek with a sorry smile, before leaving Louis standing there a bit dumbstruck.

¤¤¤

“If Louis asks, then I have a boyfriend!” Niall says a bit panicked as he approaches Liam, walking so quickly that it’s almost running. After the whole incident with Louis he just had to get away as fast as possible, so he didn’t end up ruining it. Harry had told him about Louis plan earlier today, but at the same time told him that he was pretty sure Louis actually liked him. It had just been the plan that Niall should turn him down, not make up some fake boyfriend in his panic to not screw up.

“What?” Liam asks, clearly amused.

“I might have told Louis I have a boyfriend.” Niall can feel his cheeks getting hotter under Liam’s stare, especially when the other man laughs warmly.

“And wasn’t that a stupid idea if you want him to ask you out?”

“To your fact, he actually just did. I panicked,” he admits shamefully.

Liam just laughs again, this time with a little shake of his head like he can’t believe what he’s hearing. Niall can’t really either.

¤¤¤

“Maybe he just wasn’t impressed with you.”

“He said he was seeing someone!”

“Since when do you give up that easily?”

“That’s... okay true. You’re right, nothing stops Tommo!”

¤¤¤

Louis uses the next three weeks of his life trying to impress Niall enough for the younger man to finally say yes to his endless tries on asking him out. So far he has come absolutely nowhere. The first five time Niall lost his cool, began blushing and stuttering, but since then Louis has this suspicion that Niall actually enjoys turning him down, maybe even find it completely hilarious to watch Louis turning red every time he’s reminded that Niall is ‘seeing someone already’.

To be honest he’s so close on giving up, the only thing keeping him from doing so is Harry who keeps ensuring him that he just have to find the perfect way and that Niall is just playing hard to get. Some days when Louis is really beaten down over it, he can’t help but suspect that Harry knows something he doesn’t. Sometimes when he thinks Louis isn’t looking he has this extremely stupid smirk hanging on his lips, but Louis just can’t figure out _what exactly_ it is Harry know that he doesn’t. It’s all just making him in an even worse mood than he was already.

By now he has tried almost everything, and he can seriously say that if today’s try doesn’t work then he simply just hasn’t got any more ideas. Maybe it’s for the best too. If Niall really is seeing someone, then they probably aren’t very happy with him trying to woo their boyfriend. All in all, it’d probably be the nicest thing to leave him alone if that’s the case.

“Okay, kids, we’ll cut the class a bit short today. I need you all to help me with something. You see I really want to impress this boy so he’ll go out with me, and I know how much he loves kids and that’s where you all come into the picture,” Louis begins explaining his students, but doesn’t get any longer before  one of the girls raises her hand. “Yes, Abigail, do you have a question?”

“Is it Mr. Horan you want to impress?” she asks with a giggle.

“Yes, but that...”

“Because I don’t really think you have to impress him all that much, Mr. T. Every time he sees you, he becomes all red in the face from blushing, and he looks at you like my parents look at each other.”

“Is that so?” he asks, and she just nods knowingly, a big smile forming on her lips. “Well in that case, here’s what I need you all to do...”

To be honest they don’t really do any work in that class at all. Instead Louis makes the kids help him planning and preparing everything, and when the bell rings to tell them the class is over, Louis has his whole class gathered in front of Niall’s classroom.

When the first kids begin leaving Niall’s class, they all look at them weirdly. No one really say a thing about the fact that twenty-seven fifth year students are gathered on the first year wing, though. It’s probably a good thing that none of them is great readers yet, because like this they have no idea why Louis and his students are all standing there.

Or well at least no one says a thing until one of the last students leaves the class. “Mr. Horan, I think you got a date,” she squeals, looking very proud of herself. She watches Louis and his students with big eyes, and every other second her darts back to the letters written on the signs in the students’ hands. Her mouth moves along as she reads slowly, but not a word comes over her lips.

“And who do I have a date with, Laura?” Niall asks with a soft laugh. The sound of his voice comes closer and Louis begins feeling sweaty and nervous. This was a bad idea; this was a really bad idea. Niall doesn’t like him, and probably thinks he’s annoying by now for constantly asking him out. Louis even seems desperate to himself as he stands there with shaky hands, fingers holding tightly to the white paper with a heart drawn on it.

Niall stops immediately when he joins Laura in the door and is able to see the whole scenery in front of him. On a line are sixteen of the children, each holding a letter in their hands. The rest of them are spread all over holding different types of hearts drawn on the paper in their hands.

‘G-O-O-N-A-D-A-T-E-W-I-T-H-M-E-?’ the signs read.

“You’ve written date wrong,” Niall comments, only to break into laughter seconds later when a panicked expression appears on Louis’ face. He drops his sign in the hurry to see the mistake, and maybe Louis has never been the best speller in the world, but either something is seriously wrong or Niall is kidding with him, because Louis can really not see where there should be a mistake in his spelling. “Your face, oh god,” Niall laughs so hard that it sound a bit like he can’t breathe.

“Jerk,” Louis just mutters in return, because that really wasn’t very nice at all.

“Okay,” Niall just says, making Louis more than a little confused. He’s pretty sure Niall shouldn’t have been able to hear what he said, and even if he did, why the fuck would he agree to be a jerk?

“What?”

“I’ll let you take me on a date, but you better make it good, Tommo, or else I’m going to be quite disappointed after all this trouble you’ve went through to make me say yes.”

“But… wait, really? You’re actually agreeing? After all these weeks you decide to agree now?”

“Yeah, let’s just say the kids were a nice touch. Pick me up at seven Friday night. Harry can tell you where. Now if you’d all be so nice and leave my hallway so my next class will be able to get through, not to say that all of you have class too, then that’d be absolutely fantastic.”

¤¤¤

“Oh, come on, baby. Please don’t cry,” Louis mutters, making sure to keep an eye on the road as he tries to calm Freddie down just a tad. The toddler is absolutely devastated and has been ever since Briana with a sorry look left him with Louis only half an hour earlier.

Louis knows better than anyone that the two-year-old loves him more than anything, or at least he’s second best to Briana, but the little lad is tired and was probably expecting a quiet night with his mommy instead of this.

Normally Louis would have thrown anything he had in his hands to get an extra night with Freddie, but he’s worked so damn hard for this date and he’d hate to cancel it an hour before he was to pick up Niall, which is why Freddie now is placed in his car seat beside Louis, dressed in his cutest little outfit, on his way with Louis to pick up Niall for the date, all because Briana had had some sort of emergency.

Luckily for Louis he’s in good time as he parks in front of Niall’s flat ten minutes before he’s supposed to pick him up, so he’s able to fuss over Freddie for a couple of minutes before Niall appears by the door of Louis’ car. He knocks lightly on the window to get Louis’ attention.

“So we’re babysitting on our date? I’ll admit I didn’t see that one coming. Who’s the little lad?” Niall says with a bright smile as Louis opens the door. He sticks his head into the car, leaning over Louis so he can babble along with Freddie who suddenly seems to be in a real good mood now that Niall is here. It’s not like Louis can blame him, really, because Niall seems to have that effect on everyone.

“I’m so sorry. His mother dropped him off just as I was about to leave, and I didn’t want to cancel on you. I know this is probably not what you expected but I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Uh, and he’s my baby boy, Freddie,” Louis rushes out nervously. Niall doesn’t really look like he’s listening, as he keeps making silly faces at the now laughing toddler.

Louis is proven mistaken when Niall surprised says, “You have a kid? How did I not know that?”

“I just... it was a rough time after he was just born, and since then I’ve mostly only had him every other weekend. Harry is the only one at school that knows I have him... beside you now.”

For a moment it looks like Niall is going to ask further, but he must notice the look and Louis face, because he then just gives a little nod in accept and don’t demand to know everything, which Louis is grateful for. It hadn’t been easy when he first was born. A lot of people, mostly people Louis had considered friends, had given him a lot of shit for actually wanting to have anything to do with his child. Two years ago he probably hadn’t really been in the best position to be a dad, Louis can’t really deny that. He’d been irresponsible, hung out with a lot of trashy people, smoked way to much pot for his own good and all in all he had just been one of those people parents warn their daughters against.

After Freddie was born, though, Louis made sure to get his shit together. He finished his degree, not at the top of his class but at least he didn’t fail, he got a shitty job for half a year before getting hired at the school he’s working at now, he quit the smoking and the drinking and all of those people who didn’t support his decisions, he stopped hanging out with.

Briana had just been a friend he shagged from time to time, and afterwards she had never become anymore than a friend, this time just one he has a child with instead of one he had sex with.

Niall gets up from where he is half lying over Louis’ lap, and Louis can’t help but miss the warmth and the nice smell from Niall. He then gets into the car in the seat behind Louis’ so he’s still able to distract Freddie from where he’s sitting now.

“Okay then. What’s the plan? My guess was dinner, but now I’m not so sure? You have any plans?”

  “I have a reservation on a nice restaurant not long from here, but if you don’t mind I think it’d be better if we found something else to do instead. I’m not sure Freddie or any of the workers of the restaurant would be very thrilled.”

“Yeah, sure. We could get some McDonalds and then eat at your place. I’m sure the little guy would like that better.”

And yeah, Louis tends to agree to that. It actually sounds quite nice, or well it does until Louis remembers exactly how messy his flat is at the moment. Clean is probably the last thing you could call it at least. He chooses not to say anything though, instead just finds the nearest McDonalds and chooses to use the drive-in instead of having to actually go all the way in there.

He orders for himself before asking Niall what he wants, and he pays for both of them like a good date should. Niall protest through the whole thing and even tries to sneak some money into Louis’ pockets while he’s being handed over the food.

“Stop that,” he scolds lightly as he finally catches on to what’s going on. “I’m paying and you entertain my kid and hold the food while I drive. That’s the deal, now live with it.”  He hands over the food to Niall with a soft smile.

Niall pouts a little at Louis before doing exactly what he was just told. He babbles happily with Freddie, making the toddler laugh along with every sound Niall makes. It’s so cute that Louis can’t stop sending glances in Niall’s direction every other second. He should really stop, he knows that, not only because it’s a bit creepy watching him like this, but also because he has a baby and a beautiful man in the car and he really doesn’t want any of them to die because he couldn’t keep his eyes on the road.

“Like what you see?” Niall then smirks without even looking at him.

“Very much. I do have a very beautiful baby boy. I think it’s in the genes,” Louis grins.

“Oh, it must be from the mother’s side then,” he immediately gives back, smirking once again when Louis keeps silent. Damn Niall Horan.

The rest of the drive they don’t really say anything to each other and the only sounds being heard are the low purr of the engineer and Niall and Freddie’s babbles.

When they finally reach Louis’ flat, he turns off the car and mutters something about being sorry about how messy his flat is as he gets out. He takes the whole car seat out and carries Freddie in that, knowing very well that Briana will need it again tomorrow anyway. Behind him Niall gets out to, hands still full of food.

Louis blushes almost unnoticeable when he opens his door for Niall and immediately sees how much of a mess the place really is. This is so embarrassing!

“It’s nice. Very homey,” Niall says quietly, as he follows Louis through the flat.

“It needs to get cleaned,” Louis just grumbles back with a little pout.

“Maybe just a tad.” The smile on Niall’s face looks so genuine that Louis can’t help but smile back.

Louis stops in the middle of the living room, a little lost as to what he should do with himself, and more important what he should do with Niall being there with him. “Uh, make yourself at home? Try see if you can find a movie we can watch then I’ll get this little guy ready for bed,” he just ends up saying, gesturing towards the TV and the shelves filled up with all kinds of movies.

When Niall nods and places the food on the little table in front of the sofa, Louis takes Freddie out of the car seat and carries him into the nursery. He quickly changes his nappy and puts him in a footy PJ instead of what he was wearing before. He whispers sweet nothings to Freddie and let the little lad play with his fingers for a couple of minutes, mostly to calm himself down enough to be able to join Niall in the living room without fainting. See that would be the perfect end of the date. Nothing says ‘I really like you’ than fainting at your date’s feet.

“No need to be nervous, right Freddie? You’ve already charmed the pants of him for me,” he laughs quietly and tickles Freddie’s tummy lightly to make him laugh.

“Indeed he has,” Niall says seriously, making Louis jump in surprise. When he looks over his shoulder he sees Niall leaned against the door, looking adoringly at the two of them. The blush is evident on his cheeks when he realises that Niall probably has been standing there long enough to hear just how nervous he actually is right now. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. Just wondered what took you so long.”

“No, I’m the one who should be saying sorry. This is probably the worst date you’ve ever been on,” Louis mumbles with his head hung low. This is literally a disaster. That Niall’s still here is honestly a miracle.

“Actually, it’s not that bad. I mean at least you turned up. Had a date once where the guy didn’t even bother to call me and cancel and instead just never showed up. I’ve also been on a date where the girl flirted more with the waiter than with me. I could also tell you about the one time a guy asked me out because some of his friends dared him to. So yeah I don’t really have the best history of dates, so this isn’t so bad. What about you. Any terrible memories you’d like to share?”

“Haven’t really been on any dates at all. Dating has just never been my thing, you know?”

“What about this his mother then? You never dated her?”

“No. She was just a friend. Still is really.”

“Okay then. Are you two ready for the movie?” Niall says mildly. He holds his hand out for Louis to take, and he does so once he has gotten Freddie on his arm. Niall gently pulls him into the living room and pushes him down on the couch. When he has put on the movie, Niall takes a place beside Louis.

Finding Nemo begins playing on the screen and Freddie squeals in happiness when he sees what movie they’re watching. The movie has always been a favourite of his and Louis has probably watched it 7 billion times by now. “How did you know?”

“Know what?” Niall asks, eyes fixated on the screen just as Freddie’s.

“That this is his favourite?”

“Oh... I didn’t. I just like the movie,” he says with a shrug. Louis just laughs in return, dumps Freddie in Niall’s lap before he begins unpacking the food so it won’t become totally cold before they get around to actually eating it.

“Nomo!” Freddie shrieks, once the little fish appears on the screen. A little frown then appers on his face as he realises something. “Is Nomo, dady. Nomo an dady ish. Momy ish no more. Wer momy ish?”

Louis has no idea what to say. This is literally the first time Freddie has ever questioned the movie. How exactly is he supposed to explain a two year old that Disney decided to kill the mommy fish? What kind of children’s movie is this even?

“Don’t worry little one. I’ve been told from someone who was there that the mommy fish is just having a holiday, and that she comes back to them when the movie is over,” Niall explains and makes silly faces at Freddie until he begins smiling again. Louis just mouth out a silent ‘thank you’ to Niall, who nods in return.

Louis and Niall takes turns on feeding Freddie little pieces of chips and burger every time he mindlessly opens his mouth to get some more. They’re probably only a little over halfway through the movie when Freddie falls asleep on Niall’s lap. Louis tries to take him from Niall so he can put him into bed, but Niall refuses to let go and in the end Louis just covers all three of them in a blanket and let Freddie sleep where he is. When the movie is almost over, Niall’s fast asleep too, head resting on Louis’ shoulder.

And yeah, maybe this wasn’t exactly what he had planned for the evening, but it did end up being quite nice if he has to say so himself. Hopefully Niall isn’t too disappointed either.

¤¤¤

 Monday morning Louis is up bright and early, and he’s the first to enter the school that morning besides the janitor. He uses roughly half an hour on removing every chair and all the tables in Niall’s classroom, just to carry them outside and setting them up precisely as they stood inside.

Five minutes into his class, a firm knock on the door interrupts him as he’s explaining the class what they’re supposed to be doing today.

“Come in,” he calls out politely, already knowing exactly who’s standing on the other side of the door.

“Care to explain what you have done to my class?” Niall asks annoyed as he enters the room.

“I’ve got no idea what you’re on about,” Louis says innocently. He makes sure his eyes look big and confused as he blinks a couple of times. He can’t stop the crooked smile from showing on his lips though, when Niall looks everything but amused.

“What I’m talking about is the clear lack of furniture for my students.”

“Oh! In that case I’d take a look outside. I think I saw a couple of chairs and some tables on the playground when I came this morning. Did think it was a weird place to put the furniture, but respective flavours I guess. Have a nice class, Mr. Horan.”

Louis’ smile is sly and Niall just huffs annoyed before turning around and closing the door loudly behind him.

Abigail puts her hand in the air with a confused expression on her face. Louis nods towards her to give her permission to speak. “I don’t understand, Mr. T. I thought you liked Mr. Horan?”

“That I do, miss Abigail. He’s quite fascinating if I have to say so.”

“Then why does he look like you just stole his candy? Aren’t you supposed to be nice to the people you like?”

“You’re supposed to be nice to everyone, unless of course if they aren’t nice to you, and I am nice towards Mr. Horan. It’s like a game, you see, and he’s just mad I’m winning,” Louis says, looking serious, but in reality he has a hard time keeping the smirk from his face.

¤¤¤

When Louis walks into his class the next day and takes a place in his chair, he jumps up faster than he’s ever done before. On the seat of his chair he finds a couple of dozens of thumbtacks nicely spread all over. Seriously?

¤¤¤

 It’s Louis’ weekend with Freddie and the two of them is once again watching Finding Nemo, when a knock on the door interrupts them. Freddie just keeps his eyes on the TV as Louis carefully places him on the couch so he’s able to go open the door without having Freddie screaming about being taken away from the movie.

“Niall?” he asks surprised when he opens the door and reveals the younger lad standing there.

“Hey. You busy?”

“Not really. Just watching a movie with Freddie,” Louis answers a little hesitant.

“Nice! I brought food,” he says and pushes past Louis and into the living room where he almost falls down on the couch beside Freddie, making the toddler laugh loudly. “Hey, little guy! Remember me?”

“Ya, NiNi! Dady tink you vey petty,” Freddie says seriously. He pushes the bag in Niall’s hands away and crawls into his lap. When he’s comfortable leaned against Niall he turns his attention back on the TV. When Niall begins playing with the toddler’s hair, he sighs happily.

Okay then, Louis thinks, still more than a little surprised to see Niall here, especially since he hasn’t talked to Louis in any way since Monday, and only huffed every time he saw him. By Friday Louis was sure he had fucked it all up, but now Niall is sitting on his couch with his son in his lap, apparently pretending the last week never happened.

There’s a small smile playing on Niall’s lips and he looks teasingly at Louis, doesn’t even have to say anything for Louis to understand why he’s looking at him like that. The expression in his eyes says everything, so Louis just ends up nodding, because yes he do think Niall is a very pretty lad, beautiful even. The smile becomes bigger and looks more and more like a smirk for every second that passes. It looks like a challenge and if Niall hadn’t had his son on his lap, Louis would probably have had his mouth on Niall’s by now. He wants nothing but to kiss the younger man until he’s breathless.

“I thought you were mad at me,” Louis then says, as he carefully takes a place beside Niall on the couch.

“Of course not. I’m going to get back at you, you just wait and see.” The smirk becomes all sweet and Louis has honestly never been more nervous of what Niall is planning.

¤¤¤

Louis is just about to leave his class to go get Harry for lunch, when Niall comes in with a tray with a couple of sandwiches on. He smiles shyly at Louis before saying, “Would you like to eat lunch with me?”

It honestly doesn’t take more for Louis than that to forget everything about his ‘lunch date’ with Harry in favour of eating with Niall instead.

“Yeah, take a seat,” he says, suddenly a bit hoarse.

“Thank you,” he says as Louis holds out a chair for Niall to sit in. He waits patiently for Louis to take a place too, before continuing. “I’ve made these for you only, so eat up.”

Louis doesn’t even think as he takes a sandwich from the tray and takes a bite. He regrets not being more careful when his mouth begins burning only seconds later. He’s sweating and he doesn’t doubt that he’s totally red in the head either, but he eats every bite of the sandwich, while looking at Niall with a smile. There’s no way he’s going to let Niall win this fight, no way. Then rather pretend not to be close to dying while eating his entire stupid and very hot sandwich.

Niall just keeps looking at him innocently through the whole thing.

“Did you like it?” he asks when Louis is done eating.

“Oh, yes, very good,” Louis pants

“Do you want another then?”

“NO! No, I’m fine! Won’t be able to eat a single bite more!”

“Are you going to admit your defeat then? Or are we continuing the fight?” Niall asks slyly, and that’s how the bickering starts. None of them wants to let the other be the winner, but at the same time none of them really want to continue fighting each other.

It’s been fun, Louis will say that much, but he wants more from Niall than someone he has a pranking war going on with. He wants to be able to hold his hand and kiss him every time he wants to. He’d love to snuggle with him in bed and share nice moments with both Niall and Freddie. He wants so much _more_ , but at the same time the thought of letting him win is just a no-no.

“Fine then, you can be the queen and I’ll be the king and then we can rule the school together,” Louis huffs in annoyance when Niall simply won’t let it go. He guesses he’ll be able to live with having to share his crown with someone else, as long as that someone else is the blond sitting in front of him.

 Niall begins nodding like he’s happy about Louis’ defeat, but then his eyes become wide and he stops agreeing altogether. “What?!” he squeals. “Why do _I_ have to be the queen? I ain’t gonna be any queen. You can be the queen.”

“Well obviously you’re the queen, Niall! Unless of course you wanna be a simple peasant again, because that’ll be alright too,” he smirks in return.

“And tell me again why that is obvious? Do you think I’m gonna be the girl in this relationship? What exactly makes you think that? Do I look like a girl in your eyes?”

And really, Louis has never seen anyone look quite as offended as Niall does in that moment, but Louis can’t even say he feels bad because Niall looks so cute with a pout on his face and all Louis really wants to do is to kiss him until they can’t breathe anymore.

The thing is that no, Niall doesn’t look like a girl to him, not even close, but that doesn’t mean that Louis doesn’t wish that he could spoil him like one. He wants to take Niall on sweet dates, hold the door for him, and pay for dinner or a movie. So yeah, it’s obvious for Louis that Niall is supposed to be the queen, because he intends nothing but to treat him like one every single day.

Louis wants nothing but to kiss Niall, but what exactly is stopping him? Nothing, he realises, so he leans in and captures Niall’s lips with his own in a sweet kiss that makes his heart beat a little faster. It’s needless to say that Niall doesn’t argue anymore after that, and just lets the moment consume him for long enough that he can’t even remember why they were even fighting in the first place.

¤¤¤

They’ve been together for just around two months when Louis leaves a message on Niall’s blackboard. The smile on Niall’s face when he finally solves the problem has never been brighter, and Niall himself has never been happier.

_Solve this:_

_9x-7i > 3(3x-7u)_

_9x-7i > 9x-21u_

_-7i > -21u_

_7i < 21u                _

_I < 3u_

**Author's Note:**

> Hoped you enjoyed reading! You can also find me on [tumblr](http://nialliesmiley.tumblr.com/post/152195432158/i-cant-teach-ya-how-to-fall-in-love-baby-but) :)


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